Animal-Related (Zoonotic) Diseases

Animal-related (zoonotic) diseases are diseases that affect both humans and animals. Tri-County Health Department strives to protect residents from bacterial and viral diseases transmitted by mammals, mosquitos, ticks and fleas. Some of these diseases have long been present in the State of Colorado while others have recently emerged. These diseases are hantavirus, plague, rabies, tularemia and West Nile virus. To learn more about each of these disease, access the Tri-County Health Department fact sheets on this page.

Disease Fact Sheets

How to Report a Dead Animal

It is not uncommon to find dead animals or birds. Animals and birds die everyday from natural causes, predators or disease. It is important to report such findings to your local health department so that they can be documented and a decision made to determine if a test is necessary to determine if the cause of death is associated with a zoonotic disease. To report a dead animal, complete and submit the form link below or call your local Environmental Health office. A list of our Environmental Health offices can be found on the upper right hand side of this page.

Reporting Diseases

By law, certain diseases must be reported to public health agencies from health care providers and laboratories in order to keep the illness from spreading. These diseases are refered to as Reportable Diseases (PDF).